1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to methods for treating cancers of the blood or complications associated therewith, and for the reduction of a myeloablative bone marrow toxicity of chemotherapy without regard for cancer type, and more specifically to the use of particular glycomimetics for the treatment.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the groups of cancers is cancers of the blood. Such cancer group includes hematological malignancies. Acute myelogenous leukemia is an example of a cancer of the blood.
Acute myelogenous leukemia (also known as acute myeloid leukemia or AML) is a cancer of white blood cells, and in particular the myeloid line. It appears that AML arises from a single progenitor cell which has undergone genetic transformation to an abnormal cell with the ability to proliferate rapidly. These abnormal immature myeloid cells accumulate in the bone marrow. This accumulation in the bone marrow interferes with the production of normal blood cells, including a reduction in red blood cells, platelets and neutrophils. Eventually the bone marrow stops working correctly.
AML is one of the most common types of leukemia among adults, and the most common acute leukemia affecting adults. In the U.S. alone, there are approximately 12,000 new cases each year. The incidence of AML is expected to increase as the population ages. In addition, in the U.S., about 11% of the cases of leukemia in childhood are AML. Chemotherapy is generally used to treat AML. Only a minority of patients are cured with current therapy.
Chemotherapy has a number of deleterious side effects. One of the side effects is myeloablative bone marrow toxicities. Bone marrow is the tissue that fills the inside of some bones. Examples of such bones are sternum, hip, femur and humerus. Bone marrow contains stem cells that develop into several types of blood cells: erythrocytes (red blood cells), leukocytes (white blood cells) and thrombocytes (platelets). Cells in the bone marrow are susceptible to the effects of chemotherapy due to their rapid rate of division. Bone marrow is prevented by chemotherapeutic agents from forming new blood cells. With time after exposure to a chemotherapeutic agent, counts of the blood cells will fall at various rates, depending upon the particular type of cell as their average life spans differ. Low white blood cell count, for example, makes an individual more susceptible to infection. Low red blood cell count, for example, causes an individual to be fatigued. Low platelet count, for example, impairs an individual's ability to make a blood clot.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for the treatment of cancers of the blood, including acute myelogenous leukemia, or complications associated therewith, and for the reduction of a myeloablative bone marrow toxicity of chemotherapy. The present invention fulfills these needs and further provides other related advantages.